Railway brake beam structure



Feb. 22, 1955 l. J. SPAETH 2,702,614

RAILWAY BRAKE BEAM STRUCTURE Filed May 31, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l S g /6\V 9 FIG. 4

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7/ I fir? cf L j 13/ M7 M Feb. 22, 1955 J. SPAETH 2,702,614

RAILWAY BRAKE; BEAM STRUCTURE Filed May 31, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 UnitedStates Patent RAILWAY BRAKE BEAM STRUCTURE Irvin J. Spaeth, Chicago,Ill., assignor to Chicago Railway Equipment Company, Chicago, 111., acorporation of Illinois Application May 31, 1951, Serial No. 229,190

6 Claims. (Cl. 188223.1)

The invention relates to truss type brake beam structure such as is usedon railway rolling stock and consists in a novel brake beam and brakehead assembly, particularly adapted for beams normally slidinglysupported at their ends on brackets on the side frame or other truckpart.

In some respects, the structure of the present application is animprovement upon that shown in an ap plication filed by the presentinventor May 15, 1946, Serial No. 669,855 (now Patent No. 2,587,915,issued March 4, 1952), which discloses a truss type of beam, in whichthe brake head is secured to the brake beam, and the brake beam mainmembers are secured to each other by a diagonal securing deviceaccessible from the end of the beam, the beam being supported byswinging links pivotally connected to the brake head andto the truckframe or other truck structure.

The present application is a continuation-in-part of an earlierapplication, filed August 18, 1950, Serial No. 180,163, now abandoned.

An object of the present invention is to retain the advantages of thediagonal securing device, as described in that earlier application, eventhough the presence of a part for slidingly supporting the end of thebeam would avoid use of the beam and head assembly as shown in theearlier application.

Another object is to more securely assemble the ends of the compressionand tension member of the A. A. R. type of beam by substantiallypermanent means while accommodating the replacement of the brake headswhen required.

Another object is to strengthen the end portion of the beam inwardlywithout enlarging the usual head.

Another object is to make the brake head reversible, {lop for bottom,and applicable to either end of the cam.

Another object is to utilize a one piece cast metal head with a lateralextension without making the head unduly heavy or embodying such heavysections that the desirable characteristics of a malleable casting areprejudiced.

The structure by which these and other detailed objects are attained isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a top view of a brake beam embodying the present invention,one end portion of the beam being sectioned horizontally substantiallyon the line 1--1 of Figure 3.

Figure 2 is an end view of the beam as shown in Figure 1, but drawn toan enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal section of one end portion of thebeam and is taken approximately on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a vertical transverse section taken approximately on lines4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section through the end portion of a beamembodying another form of the invention and corresponds generally to theleft hand end of Figure 1 but is drawn to a larger scale. The end memberholding the beam compression and tension members assembled and the shoemounting head are separate parts.

Figure 6 is an end view of the structure shown in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a detail vertical section taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 5.

2,702,614 Patented Feb. 22, 1955 ICC Figure 8 is a detail verticalsection taken on the line 88 of Figure 6.

:substantially the same as those shown in Figure 1.

Figures 9 and 10 are perspectives of the beam end member and separatebrake head shown in Figures 5-8.

The brake beam shown in Figures 1-4 embodies a truss including acompression member 1 of channel section, a tension member 2 comprising afiat bar, and a strut 3. The compression and tension members convergefrom the middle of the beam towards each end where the inner uprightface 4 of the tension member meets and extends alongside the inner face5 of the channel web. The end portion of the tension member is upset andhas a lip or shoulder at 6 to abut the end of the compression member.

Applied to each end of the brake beam truss is a brake head 7, theforwardly facing portion of which includes the usual elements 8 formounting the brake shoe (not shown). The rear or body portion of thehead forms a pocket for receiving the ends of the compression andtension members. This pocket includes a rear wall 9, a front wall 10, atop wall 11, a bottom wall 12, and an end wall 13. The front and rearwalls of the pocket hold the ends of the compression and tension membersassembled by preventing disengagement of the shoulder 6 from the end ofthe compression member. Bosses 14 and 15 on the head rear Wall 9 andfront wall 10 respectively form seats for the heads of a rivet 16 whichextends in the general plane of the beam diagonally of the length of thebeam and substantially at right angles to tension member 2. The forwardportion of the head is recessed at 17 to provide access to the forwardend of rivet 16 for initial driving of the rivet or later removal of therivet as by cutting 011? its rear head and driving it forwardly throughthe beam.

The axis of the tension member passes substantially transversely ofrivet 16 and through the shoulder on member 2 which engages the end ofthe compression member and this relation between the axis and theshoulder reduces or eliminates a tendency of the tension member tostraighten out when the beam is subjected to thrusts as the brakes areapplied.

Integral with the head body is a lateral extension 18 projecting fromend wall 13 away from the pocket and the ends of members 1 and 2. Theextension is inclined from the general plane of the beam, as bestindicated in Figure 2, and is adapted to engage a supporting bracket(not shown) on an adjacent truck part. Preferably extension 18 is hollowas indicated at 19, the hollow interior 19 merging with the pocket whichreceives the end portion of the compression and tension members.

Preferably the top and bottom walls 11, 12 of the head pocket areextended beyond the ends of the rear and front walls as indicated at 20and 21 and are secured by rivets 22, 23 to the top and bottom flanges 24and 25 of the beam compression member. If rivets 22 and 23 are staggeredlongitudinally of the beam, as best shown in Figure 3, they will notonly assist rivet 16 in maintaining the assembly of the head and thetruss but will more effectively resist a tendency of the head to pivotabout the rivets when subjected to alternate thrusts in oppositedirections as the brakes are applied and released. The same generalresult would be obtained by applying two rivets to one extension flange,in which case the other flange could be omitted.

The construction illustrated and described makes possible the use of ahead of malleable cast iron or steel by avoiding heavy sections, and theuse of a rivet disposed diagonally of the length of the beam and atright angles to the compression member and substantially in the line ofthrust through the brake head when the brakes are applied.

In the brake beam shown in Figures 5-10, the truss compression member 30and tension member 31 are An end member 32, separate from the brake head33, forms a sleeve fitting over the ends of the compression and tensionmembers. A rivet 34, disposed diagonally of the length of the beam andnormal to the tension member axis and disposed in the general plane ofthe beam as determined by the compression and tension members, securesthe truss members and the end member together. The end member mayinclude a three-sided pocket formmg member 35 extending inwardly of thebeam a substant al distance from the brake head and receivingcompression member 30 to which it may be riveted at 36 or 37 or at bothpoints. End member 32 has a forwardly pro ecting rectangular boss 38 andupwardly and downwardly projecting webs 39 and 40 and an outwardlyprojecting lateral extension 41 corresponding to the support-engagingextension 18 previously described. (See Figure 9).

Brake head 33 (see Figure has a forward contour for mounting a removablebrake shoe S corresponding to the usual brake head contour and includesa rear- Wardly projecting web 42 provided with apertured ears 43 and 44,disposed to extend alongside end member flanges 39, 40 and be rivetedthereto. The rear of the brake head has flanges 45 and 46 to providerecesses 47 receiving the upper and lower walls of end member boss 38,the rear of flanges 46 being enlarged at 48 to form seats bearingagainst the forward face 49 of end member 32 at the base of boss 38.

The brake head is symmetrical about the central plane A of extension 41.The straight line 8--8 passing through the centers of the apertures inflanges 39 and 40 and ears 43 and 44 is perpendicular to plane A.Accordingly, the brake head, when turned top for bottom, will fit theend member and present its shoe mounting face concentric to the wheel,not shown, the same as indicated in Figure 6. Since the sleeve receivingthe ends of the compression and tension members, the lateral extensionfor engaging the beam support, and the pocket 35 for receiving thecompression member are all formed as parts of the end member, the brakehead may be made symmetrical about the plane B of its central line ofthrust and the head may be placed at either end of the beam.

Preferably, end member 32 will be a steel casting and the brake head 33will be a malleable iron casting. When the brake beam truss isassembled, end member 32 Will not only be riveted to the compression andtension members 30, 31, but the upper and lower elements of pocket 35may be pressed against the channel compression member to better preventthe loosening of the elements of the assembly when subject to vibrationdue to the application of brakes to the wheels. After the end member hasbeen pressed against the channel, it is almost impossible to remove itfrom the end members without cutting it and hence the formation of theend member and brake head, as separate parts, is advantageous because itwill permit the removal of the brake heads for reversal or replacementwithout disassembling the beam truss.

The central portion 50 of the brake head body is imperforate and coversthe forwardly opening recess in boss 38 which receives the front head ofrivet 34 and avoids weakening the brake head at a point where it issubjected to high stress.

The structure may be varied in other ways without departing from thespirit of the invention and the exclusive use of those modificationscoming within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. In a railway truss type brake beam, a compression member and atension member with their end portions converging towards the end of thebeam, a brake head mounted on said end portions and having a forwardlyfacing shoe-mounting portion and having a lateral extension projectinglengthwise of the beam beyond said portion and the ends of said membersfor slidably engaging a support, and a securing device extending throughthe head and beam members in the general plane of the beam anddiagonally of the length of the beam and positioned inwardly of the beamfrom said lateral extension, the ends of said device being spaced fromsaid extension and accessible from the front and back of the brake head,there being a recess in said forwardly facing portion, and one end ofsaid device being accessible through said recess.

2. In a railway truss type brake beam, a channelshaped compressionmember, a tension member, and a strut spacing their middle portions, theadjacent end portions of said members converging and interengaging, andan end member mounted on associated end portions and maintaininginterengagement of said end portions, said compression member includinga substantially vertical web and horizontal flanges extendingtransversely therefrom, and said tension member end portions extendingbetween said flanges and having terminal lips in abutting engagementwith the ends of the compression member, the axis of said tension memberextending from said strut to either end of the beam substantiallypassing through the engagement of the corresponding lip and compressionmember end, and an elongated securing device extending through saidmembers in the general plane of the beam and in a directionsubstantially perpendicular to said axis.

3. In a railway truss type brake beam, separately formed compression andtension members with adjacent end portions converging and then extendingalongside of each other, an end member with a box-like pocket receivingsaid end portions and including a front wall alongside the front face ofthe tension member end portion, and a rear wall alongside the rear faceof the compression member end portion, a rivet extending through saidend portions and walls diagonally of the center line of thrust of thebeam and substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of thetension member, and a shoe carrying head mounted on the end member andoverlying the forward end of said rivet, and separate rivets securingthe head to the end member independently of the rivet securing the endmember to the compression and tension members.

4. A brake beam as described in claim 3 in which a support engagingextension projects outwardly of the beam from the end memberindependently of the shoe carrying head.

5. In an end member for a railway truss type brake beam, a body portionforming a pocket opening at one end for receiving the ends of the brakebeam compression and tension members, said pocket having a rear wall andhaving a front wall including forwardly facing elements for mountingwheel-engaging structure, said elements being spaced apart lengthwise ofthe pocket, there being bosses on the exterior of said walls with outerfaces disposed diagonally of said walls, there being aligned aperturesextending through said walls and bosses disposed about an axis extendingdiagonally of the walls and normal to said faces, the boss on the frontwall being intermediate said elements and the boss on the rear wallbeing adjacent to the open end of the pocket.

6. In a railway truss type brake beam, a compression member and atension member spaced apart at the middle of the beam and convergingtowards the end of the beam and having contacting terminals, an endmember mounted on each pair of associated terminals and having elementsarranged to mount wheel-engaging structure facing forwardly of said endmember, there being a lateral extension projecting lengthwise of thebeam outwardly from said terminals for slidably engaging a beam support,and a securing device extending through each end member and thecompression and tension members in the general plane of the beam anddiagonally of the length of the beam and substantially normal to thetension member and positioned inwardly of the beam from said lateralextension, the ends of said device being spaced from said extension andaccessible from the front and back of the end member, there being arecess between said elements providing access to said device from thefront of the end member.

